COUNCIL leaders have not ruled out the possibility of forming a unitary authority after a report revealed it could save them up to £20m a year.

A report by Bucks Business First revealed if all councils in Buckinghamshire – Aylesbury Vale, Chiltern, South Bucks and Wycombe District Councils and Bucks County Council – were to merge and form one unitary authority, it could lead to savings of between £15.7m to £20.7m a year.

The report, which was funded by Bucks’ business community after it raised £25,000 through crowd funding, looked at four possibilities – forming a single unitary council, two unitary councils saving up to £11.1m per year, one county and one district council saving up to £12.8m per year, and two unitary councils incorporating out of boundary district(s) saving up to £11.1m per year.

A joint statement from the leaders of the four district councils stated they were 'open to considering new ways of working’, but added it would be explored in much greater depth after the elections in May next year.

The report adds implementation of any of the proposals would cost between £9.4m and £13.4m, with a high proportion focused on redundancies as services are streamlined.

Residents could also be in line for savings in the form of council tax according to the report, with a set rate across the county reducing council tax by £2.8m.

For more details and to view the report, visit www.bbf.uk.com/research-and-reports/unitary-authority-research